Holiday in Japan : How to become a Japanese

I have been in Hiroshima since Friday and today (Monday) I am going to Osaka. In Hiroshima, I visited the Atomic peace park and the memorial museum. Hiroshima was the first city in human history to b hit by an atomic bomb on 6 Aug 1945. After that there wasn`t much else to see in Hiroshima. On Sunday morning I did run along a river. It was a rather freezing run because I had forgotten to bring along gloves. There was only about 6 other runners which was not surprisingly as it was probaly 2 deg C.

I have been wondering how the sales and store staff in Japan become so polite and corteous. Last night I found out how this happens on at least one version of it I think. In a TV program, new staff at at a hair salon underwent training on how to greet and what to say to their customers. Each staff was given a a file containing a script on the appropriate sentences. A trainer (5o`s lady) was going through some exercises with them. It was serious stuff. Later she hung around the salon to observe the staff and their interaction with their customers. The final scene was the best. Training was completed and all of the salon staff stood outside, bowed, said their thanks and other stuff in Japanese. The lady thanks and other stuff in Japanese. The lady trainer left in a taxi. It was too much for one of the guys. He burst out in tears and cried his heart out.

The 2nd part was how taxi drivers were training on how to smile and say the right things to their passengers.

So that is how it is done in Japan.

Holiday in Japan : Vending Machine Price War

In Japan，vending machines selling all kinds of things are everywhere. Most of the machines sell drinks which uniformly costs Y130 per drink. Even the hotels have a specific floor which has a room with vending machines (never at reception though). The is now a price war with machines selling drinks at cut rate prices Y100 or lower. Ｓｏ　ｆａｒ Ｉ　ｈａｖe only seen machines with the regularly priced drinks.

Japan is heading towards recession again. Today I dropped by a so called Y109 store. The goods which are not labelled with a price are sold at this store sells for a flat rate of Y100．　Ｔｈｅy store I went to was called Daiso. They sell a lot stuff unusual things that is only available in Japan. They had a entire rotating rack filled with Japanese folding fans. I am sure they are made in China. I will drop by again to ｃｈｅｃｋ　ｔｈｅｍ　ｏｕｔ　（Ｉ　ｈａve already bought 2 hand painted fans at Kyoto (Y3000 - USD 35 and Y1000 - USD 11).

Holiday in Japan : To Nara

My last day in Kyoto. I have visited 7 shrines/temples and 1 castle out of 17 sites listed by UNESCO as cultural\historical sites. My favourite is Nijo castle because it was large enough to wander around for 2 hours. Two other places I liked were Ten-ryuji with its Zen garden and bamboo groves (visited yesterday) and Kiyomizu-dera (visited on first day)

Today　I will　be　going　to　Nara，　an　hour　by　train．Nara　ｉs　overshadowed　by　its　more　famous　ｎｅｉｇｈｂｏｕｒ，Kyoto　but　I　thought　a　visit　to　Japan　would　be　incomplete　without　visiting　a　second　city　important　to　Japanese　history　and　ｃｕｌｔｕｒｅ．

I　will　be　staying　4　days　in　Nara　before　moving　on　to　Hiroshima　on　25　Ｄｅｃ．

Japan Holiday ： Report from Ｋｙｏｔｏ

I　have　been　in　Kyoto　since　arrｉving　here　on　Wednesday　from　Ｔｏｋｙｏ．Kyoto　 is　considered　a　cultural　centre　of　Japan　due　to　its　many　shrines／temples 　and　historical　ｐｌａｃｅｓ．There　are　１７　Unesco　heritａge　sites here. Up to Friday I have visited only 7 sites. Some of sites are surprisingly hard to visit without your own transport. You have to take a subway to Kyoto station and from there take a bus. The bus ride can take up to 30 to 45 minutes one way. Today I hope to visit two more places.

Japan is the safest country among the 22 or 23 I have visited so far. Yesterday I saw a small child wearing　a　black　school　uniform　ａｎｄ　ａ　ｂｌａｃｋ　ｈａｔ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａ　ｒｅｄ　ｓｔｒｉｐｅ　（he could only　be　ａｂｏｕｔ 6 or 7 years old) at a bus stop. You see lots of young children travelling to and from school by themselves．

Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ　ｉｓ　ｎｏｔ　ｗｉｄｅｌｙ　ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｏｄ　ｉｎ　Ｊａｐａｎ，　Ｄｏｎ‘ｔ　ｃｏｕｎｔ　ｏｎ　ａｎｙｏｎｅ　ｏｖｅｒ　40　ｙｅａｒｓｏｌｄ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄ　Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ．　Ｗｈｅｎｅｖｅｒ　Ｉ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ａｓｋ　ｓｏｍｅｏｎｅ，Ｉ　ｐｏｐ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｍａｎｙ　24　ｈｏｕｒｓ　ｃｏｎｖｅｎｉｅｎｃｅ　ｓｔｏｒｅ．　Ａｌｍｏｓｔ　ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ　ｔｈｅｒｅ　is　below　25　years　and　can　understand　some　English．　My　Japanese　language　skills　ｈａｓ　ｇｏｎｅ　ｐａｓｔ　ｆｏｕｒ　ｐｈｒａｓｅｓ；Ｅｘｃｕｓｅ　ｍｅ，Ｔｈａｎｋ　ｙｏｕ，ｇｏｏｄ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｇｏｏｄ　ｎｉｇｈｔ．

Holiday in Japan ：Rｅｐｏｒｔ ｆｒｏｍ Ｔｏｋｙｏ

８．００　ｐｍ，１１　Ｄｅｃ．２００９　（Ｆｒｉｄａｙ）：
Ａｓ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｗａｉｔｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　Ｎａｒｉｔａ　Ｅｘｐｒｅｓｓ　（ＮｅＸ）　ａｔ　Ｎａｒｉｔａ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗａｓ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｔａｋｅ　ｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｍｙ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｉｎ　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ、　Ⅰ　ｒｅａｌｉｓｅｄ　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｍａｄｅ　ａ　ｍｉｓｔａｋｅ　：　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｆｏｒｇｏｔｔｅｎ　ｔｏ　ｂｒｉｎｇ　ａｌｏｎｇ　ｍｙ　
ｃａｍｅｒａ．

Ｔｈｅ　ＮｅＸ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ａｒｒｉｖｅｓ　ａｔ　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ．　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｈａｓ　ｂｅｅｎ　described　ａｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｕｓｉｅｓｔ　ｔｒａｉｎ／ｓｕｂｗａｙ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｌｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　４　ｍｉｌｌｉｏｎ　ｄａｉｌｙ　ｃｏｍｍｕｔｅｒｓ。Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔａｋｅ　ａ　ｓｕｂｗａｙ（ｃａｌｌｅｄ　ａ　ｍｅｔｒｏ　ｈｅｒｅ）　ｆｏｌｌｏｗｉｎｇ　ｄｉｒｅｃｔｉｏｎｓ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｗｅｂｓｉｔｅ　ｂｕｔ　ｇｏｔ　ｈｏｐｅｌｅｓｓｌｙ　ｌｏｓｔ　ｉｎｓｉｄｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ．　Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｒａｉｎｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｔｏｏ　ｃｏｌｄ　ｔｏ　ｗａｌｋ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　（２ｋｍ　ａｗａｙ），ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｔｏｏｋ　ａ　ｔａｘｉ　ｔｈａｔ　ｃｏｓｔ　ｍｅ　￥８９０　（ＵＳＤ　１０）。

Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｓｔａｙｉｎｇ　ａｔ　ａ　ｓｏ　ｃａｌｌｅｄ　ｂｕｓｉｎｅｓｓ　ｃｌａｓｓ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ　ａｒｅａ　；　Ｓｕｎｒｏｕｔｅ　Ｈｉｇａｓｈｉ－Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ．　

A ｓｉｎｇｌｅ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｂｒｅａｋｆａｓｔ　ｃｏｓｔｓ　￥８６００　（ａｐｐｒｏｘ．ＵＳＤ　１００）　
ｐｅｒ　ｎｉｇｈｔ．　Ｙｏｕ　ｄｏｎ‘ｔ　ｇｅｔ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｆｏｒ　ＵＳＤ　１００　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｅｘｐｅｎｓｉｖｅ　ｃｉｔｙ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗｏｒｌｄ　（ｓｅｅ　ｌｉｎｋ）．　Ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｚｅ　ｏｆ my room is
ａｂｏｕｔ　６ｍ（２０　ｆｅｅｔ）by　３ｍ(10 feet)．　Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｌａｒｇｅ　ｂｅｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｂｏｕｔ　１　ｆｅｅｔ　ｓｐａｃｅ running along ｏｎ　ｔｗｏ　ｏｐｅｎ　ｓｉｄｅｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｏｎｅ　ｓｉｄｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｏｏｒ ａｎｄ the other ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｏｏｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｅｄ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｔａｂｌｅ　ｒｕｎｎｉｎｇ　ｗｉｄｔｈ　
ｗｉｓｅ.

９・２３　ｐｍ、１４　Ｄｅｃ．２００９　（Monday）：
I have been here for four days and can confirm Tokyo`s reputation as the most expensive city in the world.

Moving around Tokyo is easy using the metro and rail. The cost varies according to distance but on average I spend about ￥500 (USD 6 ) per day.

The cheapest meal at a hole in the wall restaurant (the equivalent of a warung `food stall` in Malaysia) is USD 10.

It`s hard to find anything cheap in Tokyo. Yesterday I was at Ueno, a suburb of Tokyo. There was a huge market with lots of shops which to me was probably the cheapest place to shop in Tokyo.

Tonight I went to Akihibara famed world wide for its electronic and anime based shops /services. There were lots of Japanese girls (some were cute) handing out fliers to maid cafes. However the cutest girls are the elevator girls at Tokyo Tower I visited this afternoon. There was also a guy bowing and saying polite things outside the elevator at the main observation deck. (this site describes the elevator girls at Tokyo` Odakyu Dept. store in terms of under employment in Japan).

It is still early days in my trip (Wednesday will be my last day in Tokyo) as I will be going to four more places after Tokyo: Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and finally Osaka. BTW,Osaka is ranked as the 2nd most expensive city in the world after Tokyo. No doubt,I will burning through more Yen at Osaka before I leave Japan.

A 3 weeks Holiday to Japan

I am going to Japan this Friday (11 Dec.) 2009 for a 3 weeks holiday.

Everything is expensive in Japan. In 2000, I was there for a 3 day business trip. The thing I remembered was the RM 20 cup of coffee.

I have booked all my hotels through the Internet. Even a business hotel which is rated 2 star costs USD 100 per night in Tokyo. The 5 star hotels cost USD 300 or more per night.

I plan to post some stories while I am traveling through Japan.

The only thing I had thought of buying of is runnin shoes and accessories.. ASICS have their own stores in several cities in Japan.